Indoor Swimming Pools &Leisure Centres: Model to Improve Effectiveness

Indoor Swimming Pools and Leisure Centres: A Model to Improve Operational Effectiveness and Reduce Environmental Impact

CIBSE Technical Symposium, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
6th and 7th September 2011

Swimming pools consume disproportionately large amounts of energy compared to dry buildings. Despite the large contribution they make towards the operating costs in local authority property portfolios, they are generally little understood. Water evaporation requires the supply of latent heat of vaporisation. This energy, contained in the water vapour, is lost from the building through ventilation. This form of energy loss far exceeds dry building losses through ventilation and conduction. A holistic formula for evaporation has been incorporated into a model of a pool hall to analyse the annual energy costs, and to identify the means to reduce them. The model has been used to improve understanding of key performance variables, and to evaluate investment in various measures to improve energy efficiency. The simulation also helps with training in pool operations and in design. The results for a typical leisure centre are presented. Savings of over 20% are normally possible.